As we confront the reality of climate change, pollution, and habitat loss, and cutting carbon, environmental reports emerge as a critical tool for business. Crafting a compelling environmental report/policy/statement involves more than just facts; it requires skillful communication. And, it is as important for small businenss to have one as for large corporations. But how do you get started and what do you need to include?
Well, it doesn't need to be difficult, wordy or complicated, and for smaller businesses it can be concise and simple. However, before you put pen to paper, it is vital to grasp the purpose of your environmental report. Is it simply to have soemthing to put on your website to show customers, or is it a tool you will use for continuous improvement? Does it simply highight where your business is today, or does it showcase what you will be doing in the future?
Your statement can be as little as one sheet – short and to the point – outlining what you recognise as your responsibilities and what you have committed to. But, of ocurse, you can make it more substantial adding some targets to show what you will be working on improvement wise in the coming years. And, why not nominate someone within your company to be in charge of your environmental work.
There is no wrong or right here, but putting your commitments on paper can help to keep your environmental work on the right track. This can be great for staff motivation too – and a great way to get them involved with your company.
While maintaining a professional tone, accessibility is critical for keeping readers engaged. Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid technical jargon unless absolutely necessary, and when you do include it, provide concise explanations.
Effective formatting can enhance readability. Use short paragraphs and strategic subheadings. For example, if you include a statistic, consider setting it apart in a box to draw attention.
If your environmental report is intended for online publication, optimising it for search engines is essential. Integrate relevant keywords naturally within your content. Terms like 'environmental impact', 'sustainability', and 'climate change' should be woven seamlessly into your writing.
Focus on clarity while ensuring your content remains searchable.
What to say in your environmental statement...
It should outline your environmental strategy/vision and recognise the impacts your business has on the environment.
It should include your ‘realistic’ (very important to not over commitment to something that you are not going to be able to achieve – remember small steps) commitments (for example, we are committed to reducing waste in our business; we are committed to lowering our carbon footprint by…).
It should outline any certifications or accreditations that you may hold (for example, we hold FSC and PEFC, or we work to ISO 14001 standards), but if you are a small company, there is no real need for a costly certification. The very fact that you are making contributions to sustainability is the key. And, if you can;t afford accreditation, why not try entering some green awards. If you get an accolade from a third party, it is a good example that people outside your business find you green – and you can add these to your statement too.
It should say what you expect from your suppliers (for example, we work with suppliers who show their own environmental compliance by...).
Include any objectives/targets you have – giving a timescale (for example, we are committed to increasingly reducing to 20% within the next 12 months).
It is nice to include something of the culture of your company too (staff involvement, training, initiatives).
It should include a date of when you publish it, and a date for your next review and update of your policy. Make sure you go back and look at it at least once a year, update anything and give a new date.
You can find out how to do an informal, no cost, waste audit, as well as a checklist of first sustainability steps, and a host of other information, on this website. Just click here
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